# IELTS formal letters

A formal letter goes to a person or organisation you do not know, such as an airline, a local council, a college or a hotel manager. The tone is polite, impersonal and precise, with full forms instead of contractions and no chatty asides.

## Structure

1. **Opening (salutation)**: Greet the reader on a line of its own, ending with a comma. Use "Dear Sir or Madam," when you do not know the name, and title plus surname for a named person you have not met. Openers: Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr Brown, / Dear Ms Taylor,

2. **Purpose**: One or two sentences that state exactly why you are writing, so the reader knows the subject before any detail. Openers: I am writing to complain about... / I am writing to enquire about... / I am writing to request...

3. **Bullet 1**: A paragraph for the first bullet, built on precise facts: dates, places, times, reference numbers or names. Openers: On 3 October I... / The problem first arose when... / I currently work as...

4. **Bullet 2**: A paragraph for the second bullet that explains the details or the effect, with a reason or an example the reader can check. Openers: The main difficulty is that... / This has caused considerable inconvenience, as... / Unfortunately, the website does not state...

5. **Bullet 3**: Usually the action you want or a suggestion. Say clearly what should happen and, where it matters, by when. Openers: I would be grateful if you could... / I would therefore ask that... / I would like to suggest that...

6. **Closing request/remark**: One short sentence that signals the end of the letter and invites a reply or action. Openers: I look forward to hearing from you. / I look forward to your prompt reply. / Thank you for your attention to this matter.

7. **Sign-off**: "Yours faithfully," after "Dear Sir or Madam," and "Yours sincerely," after a named person, then your full name on the next line. Openers: Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely,

## Useful phrases

### Complaining

- I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with...
- I was extremely disappointed to find that...
- Despite two telephone calls, the matter has still not been resolved.
- I would expect a full refund or suitable compensation.

### Requesting

- I would be grateful if you could...
- I would appreciate it if you could let me know whether...
- Could you please confirm...?
- I would like to request further information about...

### Apologising

- Please accept my sincere apologies for...
- I regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
- I apologise for not informing you sooner.
- I can assure you that this will not happen again.

### Inviting

- I would like to invite you to...
- We would be delighted if you could attend...
- It would be an honour to welcome you to...
- I would be grateful if you could confirm whether you are able to attend.

### Thanking

- I am writing to express my gratitude for...
- I am extremely grateful for...
- I would like to thank you for...
- Your assistance was greatly appreciated.

### Explaining

- The reason for this is that...
- This is due to...
- As a result, ...
- I should explain that...

## Mistakes

- **Mixing registers: slipping into chatty phrases such as "Thanks a lot", "a bit fed up" or "Maybe you could...".** Keep every sentence polite and impersonal: "Thank you for your assistance", "I am rather disappointed", "I would suggest that...".

- **Missing a bullet, most often the final request or suggestion.** Give each bullet its own paragraph and check all three are covered before you write the closing line.

- **Writing under 150 words, which leaves the bullets underdeveloped.** Aim for about 160-190 words: a purpose sentence, a developed paragraph per bullet and a one-line close.

- **Signing off "Dear Sir or Madam" with "Yours sincerely", or a named reader with "Yours faithfully".** Match the sign-off to the greeting: Dear Sir or Madam -> Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Brown -> Yours sincerely.

- **Burying the purpose: opening with background about yourself before saying why you are writing.** State the reason in the first sentence, for example "I am writing to complain about...", then give the background.

## Sample letters

- [Letter to an airline about lost luggage](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-1/letter-to-airline-about-lost-luggage)

- [Letter to the council about a school crossing](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-1/letter-to-council-about-dangerous-school-crossing)

- [Letter to a college about an evening course](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-1/letter-to-college-asking-about-evening-course)

- [Letter praising a helpful hotel receptionist](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-1/letter-to-hotel-praising-helpful-staff-member)